Author: bgainor

August 2008 Issue I

Are You Looking to Expand Your Network?
Top 10 Ways to Connect with Other Industry Professionals
National Sports Forum
Linked In
Sports Marketing 2.0
NACDA
Partnership Activation — Linked In Users Connect Group
Sports Business Graduate Programs (Alumni, Students)
Relay Sports Sponsorship Symposium
National Sports Marketing Network
Youth Sports Professionals Network
World Congress of Sports
“Build partnerships, not sponsorships.” – Brian Corcoran, Fenway Sports Group

Partnership Activation 2.0
Welcome to the first edition of Partnership 2.0, a newsletter that provides sports business professionals with industry insights, creative activation tactics, and new ways to generate incremental revenue for their organizations.
To subscribe to the newsletter, or to unsubscribe, simply send the request (with “subscribe” or “unsubscribe” in the subject line) to bgainor@partnershipactivation.com. Please include your full name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.
If you have a link, tip, or best practice that you would like to share, please also send them to: bgainor@partnershipactivation.com. I would love to include your insights in the next newsletter!
If you like what you see, please pass this newsletter along to all of your friends and colleagues in the industry!

this issue
Partnership Activation 2.0 P.1
Fans Live in the Fast Lane P.2
The Next Wave of Signage P.3
In-Game Promos are a Hit P.4

INDUSTRY WATCH LUCAS OIL STADIUM
63,000 seat home of the Indianapolis Colts (expandable to 70,000 for football/basketball)
Cost: $720MM
Unique Elements Include:
The Colts “Main Stage” featuring top performers on game day
Bud Light Blue Zone (11,520 sq. foot gathering space for fans)
The Quarterback Suite ($375/game all-inclusive ticket section (includes game ticket, buffet meal, beer, and wine)
Moving Windows (six operable windows that can be opened to provide a view of the Downtown skyline)
Two (2) 97’x53’ High Definition Scoreboards
Corporate Partners Include: Lucas Oil, Air Tran, Sprint, Meijer, ProLiance, Huntington Bank, HH Gregg, DEEM, Coca-Cola, Clarion Health, Chevrolet, Anheuser-Busch, Advantage Health, and Baker & Daniels
End zone section branded with the Indianapolis Colts logo

1

August 2008 Issue I

Are You Living in the Fast Lane?
In recent weeks, numerous professional sports teams have signed partnership agreements with companies that provide fast admission/discounts for fans. Clear and FLO Corporation, two (2) companies that provide expedited airport security lanes for all consumers who purchase a $100 annual pass, have recently begun transferring their services to the sports marketplace:
Denver Broncos - Clear (www.flyclear.com)
San Francisco 49ers - Clear
Baltimore Ravens - FLO Corp. (www.flocard.com)
Washington Redskins - FLO Corp.
The Denver Broncos “Clear Card” will also provide fans with special offer coupons (e.g. 15% off non-game day purchases at the Broncos Team Store) and exclusive admission to a pre-game tailgate party. Broncos fans can purchase a one year team Clear Card membership for $128.

Creative
Activation
Ideas
Creative Ideation

The New York Mets collaborated with Topps to create a unique “Game Day Starting Lineup” display at the team’s ticket box office

This Month’s Activation Tip - Capitalize on Concurrent Events

Have you considered incorporating “Olympic Fever” into your game entertainment?
The Washington Nationals staged an Olympics-inspired Presidents Race during the 4th inning of one of the team’s recent home games. The team tasked its 10-foot President mascots with jumping over hurdles during the team’s traditional Racing Presidents in-game feature. The team even outfitted Abe Lincoln with gold running shoes (ala Michael Johnson) during the contest.
The Baltimore Ravens aired Michael Phelps’ final race at the Beijing Olympics live at M&T Bank Stadium after the team’s preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings on August 16th. The team received permission from NBC to broadcast the event on the stadium’s SmartVision scoreboards and promoted the event by sending out press releases prior to the game and encouraged fans throughout the game to stay. The Ravens supported Phelps by sending him an autographed No. 08 jersey, distributed “Ravens for Phelps posters to all in attendance, and provided Ravens fans the opportunity to record Good Luck messages to the U.S. Olympian.

MetLife teamed up with the New York Yankees to sponsor the Yankee Stadium Countdown Clock

Minute Maid and the Houston Astros Offer the Minute Maid Squeeze Play area for young Astros fans

III

August 2008 Issue I

Are You Looking to Expand Your Sports Business Knowledge?
Top 10 Daily Sports Business Reads
Sports Business Daily
IEG Sponsorship Report
PartnershipActivation.com
The Migala Report
Youth Markets Alert
CNBC’s Sports Biz
Sports Marketing & PR Roundup (Joe Favorito)
Veritix Sports Marketing Newsletter
Marketing Daily
Deadspin / The Big Lead / WithLeather.com

Searching For a New Way to Distinguish Your Brand In-Venue?

The next wave of signage inventory waiting to hit the United States is 3D signage. Logo Paint, a company that specializes in creating 3D signage and field boards for a variety of sports, has emerged as the industry leader in producing this signage.
Logo Paint (www.logopaint.com) currently delivers its patented 3D signage and technology to sports arenas and organizations in 30+ countries. The company has developed innovative signage pieces for the likes of Siemens, Toyota, Kia, KPMG, Nippon TV, JBS, Victoria, and Bayer worldwide.
Logo Paint specializes in creating 3D signage and field boards for a variety of sports, including:
Soccer (Ajax Amsterdam, FC Schalke ‘04, Hertha BSC)
Motorsports (DTM)
Basketball (BBL, Bayer, 17th Gulf Cup 2004)
Hockey (Danish Ice Hockey League)
Tennis (ATP Challenger 2005)
Volleyball (Mens World Grand Champions Cup)
Handball (Womens European Cup)
It is only a matter of time before this signage piece becomes a branding piece that will serve as a new revenue stream for professional organizations in the United States. For more information, check out www.logopaint.com and/or send an email to: info@logopaint.com.

Have You Seen This?
HC Slavia Praha of the Czech Extraliga hockey league currently sell glass signage to their corporate partners (as seen on the right). The team currently features Skoda Auto and Nokia branding on their rink glass - a piece of inventory that is yet to be sold in the United States.
While the glass signage is semi-obstructive, it does provide a new outlet for sponsors looking to differentiate their brands in-venue and serves as a branding piece that can be picked up on television.

II

II

August 2008 Issue I

Gila River Casinos and the Arizona Diamondbacks Hit and Win with Their New Promotion...
The Arizona Diamondbacks recently collaborated with Gila River Casinos to create an in-game "Gila River Casinos Million Dollar Hit & Win" promotion. During each Diamondbacks home game (from July 18th through the remainder of the season) randomly selected section(s) will be deemed the "Gila River Casinos Million Dollar Hit & Win Section".
If a Diamondbacks player hits a home run off the Gila River Casinos target in left-center/right-center field during the 4th, 5th, or 6th inning, eligible fans in the selected section(s) will win Circle K gift cards worth a combined total of $1MM. The Diamondbacks have also opened the promotion up to fans everywhere - five (5) fans not in attendance will be selected from mail-in entries to participate in each game promotion.
The actual amount of the gas cards distributed is dependent upon the number of eligible fans in the winning sections that are 21+and have a valid ticket for that section. The targets are located 425 feet from home plate, making a HR off the target a feat in itself. The team selects the "lucky sections" when it lowers the targets from the LED boards during the bottom-half of the fourth inning. To claim their prize, fans just have to fill out a completed affidavit form and submit it with their ticket stub to Diamondbacks representatives located at the Hit & Win Headquarters in Section 300.

EYE ON IT
Top 10 Current Industry Trends
Shifting Dollars to 2.0 (Advertising, Activation, Promotions, Measurement)
Maximizing Dollars During Economical Woes
Social Networking
Global Penetration
Teams Going Green
The Rise of Fantasy Sports
Technological Advances in Ticketing and Mobile
Measuring Levels of Consumer Engagement
Leagues Streaming Media in Regional Markets
Licensing

Looking to Advertise to Thousands of Sports Business Professionals?

INSERT YOUR BANNER AD HERE

Very Affordable Opportunities
For More Information Please Contact Brian Gainor at bgainor@partnershipactivation.com

For Consulting Assistance, Please Contact:
Brian Gainor
Partnership Activation, Inc.
3649 Warp St.
Charlotte, NC 28205
P: 305.302.7861
E: bgainor@PartnershipActivation.com

Partnership Activation, Inc. provides sports business professionals with creative ideation insights, unique activation tactics, and innovative ways to drive incremental revenue for their business.
Founded in February 2008, PartnershipActivation.com has rapidly become one of the industry’s most valuable resources for sports business professionals to obtain unique partnership ideas and industry updates.

IV

This story can fit 150-200 words.
One benefit of using your newsletter as a promotional tool is that you can reuse content from other marketing materials, such as press releases, market studies, and reports.
While your main goal of distributing a newsletter might be to sell your product or service, the key to a successful newsletter is making it useful to your readers.
A great way to add useful content to your newsletter is to develop and write your own articles, or include a calendar of upcoming events or a special offer that promotes a new product.
You can also research articles or find “filler” articles by accessing the World Wide Web. You can write about a variety of topics but try to keep your articles short.
Much of the content you put in your newsletter can also be used for your Web site. Microsoft Publisher offers a simple way to convert your newsletter to a Web publication. So, when you’re finished writing your newsletter, convert it to a Web site and post it.

This story can fit 100-150 words.
The subject matter that appears in newsletters is virtually endless. You can include stories that focus on current technologies or innovations in your field.
You may also want to note business or economic trends, or make predictions for your customers or clients.
If the newsletter is distributed internally, you might comment upon new procedures or improvements to the business. Sales figures or earnings will show how your business is growing.
Some newsletters include a column that is updated every issue, for instance, an advice column, a book review, a letter from the president, or an editorial. You can also profile new employees or top customers or vendors.

This story can fit 75-125 words.
Selecting pictures or graphics is an important part of adding content to your newsletter.
Think about your article and ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances the message you’re trying to convey. Avoid selecting images that appear to be out of context.
Microsoft Publisher includes thousands of clip art images from which you can choose and import into your newsletter. There are also several tools you can use to draw shapes and symbols.
Once you have chosen an image, place it close to the article. Be sure to place the caption of the image near the image.

This story can fit 150-200 words.
One benefit of using your newsletter as a promotional tool is that you can reuse content from other marketing materials, such as press releases, market studies, and reports.
While your main goal of distributing a newsletter might be to sell your product or service, the key to a successful newsletter is making it useful to your readers.
A great way to add useful content to your newsletter is to develop and write your own articles, or include a calendar of upcoming events or a special offer that promotes a new product.
You can also research articles or find “filler” articles by accessing the World Wide Web. You can write about a variety of topics but try to keep your articles short.
Much of the content you put in your newsletter can also be used for your Web site. Microsoft Publisher offers a simple way to convert your newsletter to a Web publication. So, when you’re finished writing your newsletter, convert it to a Web site and post it.

This story can fit 100-150 words.
The subject matter that appears in newsletters is virtually endless. You can include stories that focus on current technologies or innovations in your field.
You may also want to note business or economic trends, or make predictions for your customers or clients.
If the newsletter is distributed internally, you might comment upon new procedures or improvements to the business. Sales figures or earnings will show how your business is growing.
Some newsletters include a column that is updated every issue, for instance, an advice column, a book review, a letter from the president, or an editorial. You can also profile new employees or top customers or vendors.

This story can fit 75-125 words.
Selecting pictures or graphics is an important part of adding content to your newsletter.
Think about your article and ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances the message you’re trying to convey. Avoid selecting images that appear to be out of context.
Microsoft Publisher includes thousands of clip art images from which you can choose and import into your newsletter. There are also several tools you can use to draw shapes and symbols.
Once you have chosen an image, place it close to the article. Be sure to place the caption of the image near the image.

Brian Gainor
Partnership Activation, Inc.
3649 Warp St.
Charlotte, NC 28205

Phone: 305.302.7861
E-mail: bgainor@PartnershipActivation.com

“The Think Tank For Connecting Brands with Fans”

Solutions For a New Economy
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